Professor Watson is a very cool guy, very experienced in the field, gives lots of excellent real world examples and stories, shows exactly how to do all of the problems that will be on the exam, so going to lecture and memorizing the steps are very important, his tests are tough, he really likes to give trick questions, but study and you'll be fine

Awesome teacher, clearly cares for his students. Lectures are important if you want pass, because he tests you on material that he teaches in class. Gives past midterm questions in section so you can practice for midterm and final. Would take the class again, my favorite professor so far at UCSB.

Awesome teacher, explains really clearly, makes it relatable, GO TO LECTURE. Super helpful in office hours too (they're early though 7am) and my favorate SB teacher so far!)

Watson is a great guy, but 8am lecture often about random (non-econ) stuff was frustrating. TA struggled to cover everything prof. should've in lecture. Material is easy enough, but midterm & final (45% each) are mostly mult. choice and are ALL trick questions. Doesn't matter how hard you study. Class avg. was D- on midterm. Curve saved lives

8 AM lectures, lecture material was easy to learn and understand but the test was straight pulled out of his ass. Seriously making each test worth 45% of your grade? Ridiculous. Would've used the book but it was too much $$$$$.

A lots of QUIZ!! Lectures are not structured. He talks out of his ass because the only examples he uses are from his helicopter company or cars. He always talks his own story over and over again!!! Don't expect to learn anything in lecture.

Awesome dude. Did not use slides, but he didn't need it. Lecture felt like he was just talking to you and is great at explaining what you need to know. Tests were straight forward, if you go to lecture and pay attention you will do great! Definitely recommend.

I'm not an Econ person but I enjoyed Dr. Watson's lectures. He speaks a bit fast but gives good examples that help the material make sense. I wouldn't recommend skipping class because the reading is not enough to understand the concepts. Also attend sections and read the book. Weekly quizzes in the sections help a lot and get you easy points.

The material itself is easy enough to understand, but Watson rambles so much that it's hard to stay focused. I couldn't learn enough from him or my TA so the textbook helped when studying for tests.

7 AM OH. Messes up your GPA. Trick questions. Does not matter if you do excellent in the quizzes. Does not review, does not give "final" back.

Lectures are not structured. He talks out of his ass because the only examples he uses are from his helicopter company or cars. I bought the book and didn't use it once. I took ap macro in high school and got a B- on the midterm, but if you haven't been exposed to micro or either, don't expect to learn anything in lecture.

Watson's not as bad as these reviews make him out to be. Pay attention in lecture, take good notes, and go to section. I got a B+ just by taking notes, making flashcards of certain things, and studying the night before tests. It would have been an A if I had stayed awake the second half of the quarter. Never opened the book. Take it over the summer

Watson is an accounting master and incredibly intelligent. Just wish he used some of that wisdom into organizing his syllabus and class agenda. As a student, you will be addicted to his impressive real-life examples but will soon realize that his tests are ridiculously difficult and not what he informed us on.

"Econ for Poets" my ass. This class is very unorganized. You need the book in order to pass this class. He doesn't assign readings or homework so you are on your own. He talks about cars and tries to unsuccessfully relate it to econ. Very boring and hard, do not take for a GE. One of the worst professors I've had.

Must attend lecture and actually pay attention (hard at 8 AM) to do well. Unfortunately, Watson's lecturing style consists of almost solely irrelevant anecdotes with the important concepts peppered in here and there. Concepts aren't too hard, however. Book isn't essential but a helpful tool for studying and reinforcing comprehension.

I think other reviews are a little harsh. Watson is pretty funny and has a wealth of stories. He makes lectures super interesting and everything is based on lectures. Take great notes or record his lectures. I know some people say he doesn't seem to care about his students and their grades but I disagree. He made the final and midterm very fair

Professor Watson's lectures are fairly interesting, but they only gloss over the subjects that are tested in detail on the exams. He doesn't assign any work, which seems cool at first. By the time you get to the final exam, you have no idea what to expect, and it kills. Terribly structured class, avoid it at all costs if you want to learn anything.

This class is in no way as easy as people would think. I took Econ 1 prior,the class with the bell curve so I thought this class would be cake ,but it was so difficult. The midterm average was a D and the TAs graded so harshly and the final was one of the hardest tests I've taken. I miraculously ended with a B+ but studied a lot for the final.

Exams were very challenging. Lectures consisted of life lessons and his own personal experiences. Interesting enough, but did not help on the exams. Exams were 100% based on the book. I can't see how anyone could pass this class without reading the book. And he DID NOT assign readings.

Class is pretty straightforward. He walks you through examples in class and the tests are exactly like the problems he teaches in class. Watson is a nice guy, he has lots of real-world experience and applies it to his lectures. Textbook is not necessary, but you should go to every class to learn how to do the problems.

Took this class twice (if you know what I mean), but after seeing the material for the second time, it really isn't that difficult. You HAVE TO go to class and take notes, because the way he does things is very different than the book. Learn how he does things, and do the problems over and over again until it's second nature. Not normal accounting

This class is extremely difficult. He makes it seem like reading isn't important. You leave his class understanding the lecture but when the concepts end up on the test they have random details he never mentioned. You need to read the book but he doesn't assign specific readings so you would have to read the entire book front to back.

This class was really unorganized. He did not assign readings so if you buy the book you're on your own. His lectures were just him rambling about useless stuff. Section was helpful but it seemed like people did not know what they were doing. They don't tell you what to study so lecture is mandatory. Study hard for exams because they are no joke.

Watson is an extremely intelligent man who was successful in the business world prior to teaching. His class was, IMO, very easy and the trick to succeeding is attending every lecture and taking detailed notes. He is very witty and has great humor. Lectures are related to real business environments and make everything far more interesting!